49ers rename playing field

As of Monday, Bill Walsh Field has been christened.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The names on the Bay Area’s sports arenas sometimes change faster than the names on the back of players’ jerseys.

The area’s five major-league venues have had a total of 17 official names since 1995, with at least three appellations for every building.

When Northern California’s thriving high-tech economy gets together with money-hungry landlords, they create monikers ranging from the euphonic (Pacific Bell Park, Oracle Arena) to the grating (NetworkAssociates Coliseum) to the hopelessly obtuse (Compaq Center at San Jose, anyone?).

The most beloved and historic venue is aging Candlestick Park, which will spend one more official year as Monster Park — even though the San Francisco 49ers and their contractually obligated broadcasters are the only people who don’t still call it by its birth name.

A name fans can support

But leave it to Bill Walsh to be the source of the first new name that Bay Area sports fans can really support — even if it’s only the name of the grass inside the Monster.

Though the swirling wind is still an unpredictable menace and the turf always seems to be erratically slick, Bill Walsh Field is the San Francisco 49ers’ new home inside the venerable stadium with the temporary name, starting with Monday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals.

The game was not completed in time for today’s edition.

“We’ve just tried to recognize and memorialize what Bill has done,” 49ers owner John York said of the club’s weeks of memorials to its former coach and general manager.

“I think this is very appropriate for Bill, and I’m glad we were able to do it.”

The 49ers made extensive preparations in recent weeks for their regular season tribute to Walsh, the Hall of Fame coach and the architect of the 49ers’ Super Bowl dynasty. Walsh died of leukemia on July 30, and the city of San Francisco announced its plan to change the name of the field during a memorial service at Candlestick several days later.

Wear throwback jerseys

The club printed up commemorative programs and posters for the regular season debut of the newly named field, and they put together a video tribute.

Thanks to a whole lot of behind-the-scenes jockeying by York, the NFL also allowed the 49ers to wear their cherry-red throwback jerseys — the same colors worn by the club that Walsh led to three titles in just 10 seasons.

The 49ers also will wear black “BW” patches on the back of their helmets throughout the season. Walsh was selected last week as an honorary team captain against the Cardinals, to be represented by former team executive John McVay.

“I’m glad the NFL got behind us and let us wear the uniforms as a tribute,” quarterback Alex Smith said.

“I think it’s a good idea to remember what he meant to this league and this franchise.”